Anyone who enjoys drinking Sherry, the versatile fortified wine from the town of Jerez de la Frontera (Moorish name: Xerez, pronounced Sheresh), will be delighted to hear that this week is Sherry Week!

The annual worldwide celebration of these wines, which range from bone-dry to smooth and sweet – fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso, palo cortao, cream and Pedro Ximenez – has grown every year since it started in 2014. This year more than 2000 events are being held in 26 countries around the world, from now until Sunday 12 November.

Sherry Week was founded by Spanish-Australian marketer Chelsea Anthon Penas – you can read our interview with this dynamic wine-loving entrepreneur here. The Week started off as World Sherry Day, and since has grown exponentially, with countries from Australia to the US, via Ecuador, Norway and Taiwan, hosting events.

In Spain alone you can go to a staggering 900 events, of which the most popular type is gastronomy-related – in other words pairing Sherry with food. This will usually consist of a tasting menu of three or more tapas, each paired with a Sherry which complements its flavours. But the dishes don’t have to be typically Spanish – any type of world cuisine can be matched to a sherry. In some restaurants, a dish or tapa paired with a Sherry with be available as a special offering throughout the week. You can also go to a tasting, where an expert will guide you through a number of Sherries, called a “flight”, explaining the subtleties of each individual wine.

Leading the charge here in Andalucia in terms of Sherry Week events is Seville, with nearly 300 tastings and pairings, followed by the Sherry Triangle – the towns of Jerez, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda – the only area where Sherry can be made – also hosting around 300 events.